James Harden, Rockets topple Mavericks

1of33The Houston Rockets' James Harden (13) gestures after hitting a 3-pointer in the second half against the Dallas Mavericks at the American Airlines Center in Dallas on Wednesday, Jan. 24, 2018. The Rockets won, 104-97. (Louis DeLuca/Dallas Morning News/TNS)Photo: Louis DeLuca/TNS

5of33DALLAS, TX - JANUARY 24: Eric Gordon #10 of the Houston Rockets drives to the basket against Dennis Smith Jr. #1 of the Dallas Mavericks and Salah Mejri #50 of the Dallas Mavericks in the second half at American Airlines Center on January 24, 2018 in Dallas, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images)Photo: Tom Pennington/Getty Images

7of33DALLAS, TX - JANUARY 24: Clint Capela #15 of the Houston Rockets blocks a shot against Harrison Barnes #40 of the Dallas Mavericks at American Airlines Center on January 24, 2018 in Dallas, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images)Photo: Tom Pennington/Getty Images

10of33DALLAS, TX - JANUARY 24: Eric Gordon #10 of the Houston Rockets drives to the basket against Dennis Smith Jr. #1 of the Dallas Mavericks and Salah Mejri #50 of the Dallas Mavericks in the second half at American Airlines Center on January 24, 2018 in Dallas, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images)Photo: Tom Pennington/Getty Images

14of33DALLAS, TX - JANUARY 24: Eric Gordon #10 of the Houston Rockets drives to the basket against Dennis Smith Jr. #1 of the Dallas Mavericks and Salah Mejri #50 of the Dallas Mavericks in the second half at American Airlines Center on January 24, 2018 in Dallas, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images)Photo: Tom Pennington/Getty Images

15of33DALLAS, TX - JANUARY 24: James Harden #13 of the Houston Rockets shoots the ball against Dennis Smith Jr. #1 of the Dallas Mavericks in the second half at American Airlines Center on January 24, 2018 in Dallas, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images)Photo: Tom Pennington/Getty Images

16of33DALLAS, TX - JANUARY 24: Gerald Green #14 of the Houston Rockets drives to the basket against Yogi Ferrell #11 of the Dallas Mavericks and Salah Mejri #50 of the Dallas Mavericks in the second half at American Airlines Center on January 24, 2018 in Dallas, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images)Photo: Tom Pennington/Getty Images

17of33DALLAS, TX - JANUARY 24: Gerald Green #14 of the Houston Rockets drives to the basket against Yogi Ferrell #11 of the Dallas Mavericks and Salah Mejri #50 of the Dallas Mavericks in the second half at American Airlines Center on January 24, 2018 in Dallas, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images)Photo: Tom Pennington/Getty Images

19of33DALLAS, TX - JANUARY 24: Dirk Nowitzki #41 of the Dallas Mavericks shoots the ball against James Harden #13 of the Houston Rockets in the first half at American Airlines Center on January 24, 2018 in Dallas, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images)Photo: Tom Pennington/Getty Images

20of33Dallas Mavericks guard Dennis Smith Jr. (1) leaps to the basket to dunk in the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Dallas Mavericks on Wednesday, Jan. 24, 2018, in Dallas. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)Photo: Tony Gutierrez/Associated Press

21of33DALLAS, TX - JANUARY 24: Dirk Nowitzki #41 of the Dallas Mavericks shoots the ball against James Harden #13 of the Houston Rockets in the first half at American Airlines Center on January 24, 2018 in Dallas, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images)Photo: Tom Pennington/Getty Images

26of33Dallas Mavericks forward Dirk Nowitzki (41) works against Houston Rockets guard James Harden (13) for a shot opportunity in the first half of an NBA basketball game Wednesday, Jan. 24, 2018, in Dallas. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)Photo: Tony Gutierrez/Associated Press

27of33DALLAS, TX - JANUARY 24: Wesley Matthews #23 of the Dallas Mavericks drives to the basket against Tarik Black #28 of the Houston Rockets and Luc Mbah a Moute #12 of the Houston Rockets at American Airlines Center on January 24, 2018 in Dallas, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images)Photo: Tom Pennington/Getty Images

28of33DALLAS, TX - JANUARY 24: Dirk Nowitzki #41 of the Dallas Mavericks covers Trevor Ariza #1 of the Houston Rockets in the first half at American Airlines Center on January 24, 2018 in Dallas, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images)Photo: Tom Pennington/Getty Images

29of33DALLAS, TX - JANUARY 24: James Harden #13 of the Houston Rockets reacts after scoring against the Dallas Mavericks at American Airlines Center on January 24, 2018 in Dallas, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images)Photo: Tom Pennington/Getty Images

30of33DALLAS, TX - JANUARY 24: Dirk Nowitzki #41 of the Dallas Mavericks shoots the ball against James Harden #13 of the Houston Rockets in the first half at American Airlines Center on January 24, 2018 in Dallas, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images)Photo: Tom Pennington/Getty Images

31of33DALLAS, TX - JANUARY 24: Dirk Nowitzki reacts after contact against the Houston Rockets in the first half at American Airlines Center on January 24, 2018 in Dallas, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images)Photo: Tom Pennington/Getty Images

32of33DALLAS, TX - JANUARY 24: Dirk Nowitzki reacts after contact against the Houston Rockets in the first half at American Airlines Center on January 24, 2018 in Dallas, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images)Photo: Tom Pennington/Getty Images

33of33Houston Rockets guard James Harden (13) celebrates sinking a three-point basket in the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Dallas Mavericks on Wednesday, Jan. 24, 2018, in Dallas. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)Photo: Tony Gutierrez/Associated Press

DALLAS - By now, James Harden is hard-pressed to surprise Mike D'Antoni. He might impress his coach. On nights like Wednesday against the Mavericks, when Harden proved capable of doing whatever moved him, he could please his coach.

The power to surprise him seemed to have been exhausted in their first season together and the half-season reprise since.

Then Harden took a step inside midcourt and flung a ridiculously high lob to Clint Capela cutting to the rim, tossing his pass as casually as if it were a wadded up ball of paper into a trash can.

After Capela's slam in a game crowded with them, D'Antoni turned to Harden, rolled his eyes and tilted his head as if to say, "What was that?" as Harden broke up laughing. The Rockets were well on their way to a 20-point lead and a 104-97 victory in which they seemed in control from the moment the lights came on.

Though D'Antoni lamented the stretches in which the Rockets did not defend as he wanted - though they held a third team in four games shy of 100 - he went back to the play he could hardly believe, citing a reminder of how Harden's control of the game made whatever runs the Mavericks pieced together irrelevant.

"His passing was incredible," D'Antoni said. "He threw one lob that was ridiculous. I just looked at him like, 'That was ridiculous. You can't do that.' I mean, he was just so good. Even (the Mavs') Wesley Matthews looked at him like, 'Are you kidding me? Halfcourt and you throw that?' It was just a great play."

3-point happy

It was also typical.

Harden had 25 points with 13 assists and just one turnover. But more than his individual numbers, the Rockets outscored the Mavericks by 30 points in his 32½ minutes on the floor.

The Rockets began the game hitting their first six 3-pointers and had a season-high 10 in the first quarter, one shy of the NBA record. In the fourth quarter, Harden and Capela combined to score 11 points in five minutes to put the game away.

"That's James," Capela said. "When he sees me, I feel confident he will throw the ball. It's always fun to play with him. The pass, it came back down. At first I was like, 'Oh.' But it came back down. Thanks."

In between, the Rockets' greatest challenge seemed to be convincing themselves that the Mavericks could catch them. They needed five minutes to bolt to a 13-point lead. They trailed for 27 seconds in the game. Eventually, the defense picked up enough to get by with the stretches they misfired while putting up 51 3-pointers.

"I don't think we got 3-happy," D'Antoni said of the 19th game in which the Rockets attempted 50 3-pointers the past two seasons, compared with the three in NBA history for the rest of the league. "We got a little a lack-of-defense happy. You think it's going to come easy because you're scoring every time. We're hitting 70 percent on 3s (in the first quarter). If you're up 10, you should have been up 15, or if you're up 15, you should have been up 20.

"As many as you make in the first quarter, the thermostat resets. You're going to shoot about 40 percent. We just had to knock them out. Eventually, we did."

Gordon, Ariza produce

If the Rockets thought they could dial up their offense at will, it was difficult to convince them otherwise because they were usually right.

"That's every single game," Harden said. "Tonight was (about) just not allowing a letup. They were going to make a run. As long as we contest every shot and be on the same page defensively, that was the goal."

Eric Gordon went from missing all 16 3-pointers he put up in the previous two games to hitting 4-of-7 on his way to 17 points. Trevor Ariza went from making 1 of 2 shots in his first game back from a two-game suspension to scoring 23 points. Finally, Harden and Capela put on a show that even D'Antoni had not seen before.

"Yeah, that's fun for me," Harden said. "Mike is a great coach. … He has a lot of faith and trust in us to go out there and rack up wins for him."

Jonathan Feigen has been the Rockets beat writer since 1998 and a basketball nut since before Willis Reed limped out for Game 7. He became a sports writer because the reporter that was supposed to cover the University of Delaware basketball team decided to instead play one more season of college lacrosse and has never looked back.

Feigen, who has won APSE, APME and United States Basketball Writers Association awards from El Campo to Houston, came to Texas in 1981 to cover the Rice Birds, was Sports Editor in Garland before moving to Dallas to cover everything from the final hurrah of the Southwest Conference to SMU after the death penalty.

After joining the Houston Chronicle in 1990, Feigen has covered the demise of the SWC, the rise of the Big 12 and the Rockets at their championship best.